Apparatus for carrying out exothermic catalytic gas reactions



Aug. 21932. A A. BERENBRUCH 1,869,736

APPARATU Fon ARRYING OUT ExoTHE-RMIG CATALYTIC @As REACTIONS Filed April 21, 1928 INVENTOR B294 Am/@vn TORNEYS Patented Aug. 1932 .UNITED Vs'rnrls's PATENT OFFICE ALBERI .'BERENIBRUCH., OFYNEUROSSEN, GERNIANY, ASSIGNOR T0 I. G. FARBENINDUS- 'l TRIE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, 0F FRANKFOR'lI'-ON-THEMAIN, GERMANY, .A GOB- PORATION F GERMANY AFPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT EXOTHERMIC CATALYTIC GAS REACTIONS Application med April 21, 1928, Serial No. 271,828, and in Germany May 7, .1927.

- and maintaining it at suc-h a level that a maxiy in the direction taken by the gases. f

`or through the catalyst.

mum output is obtained for a given velocity of the reaction and the correspondin gaseous equilibrium. In order to effect this, it is essential that the temperature in the chamber containing the catalyst should be approximately constant throughout the reaction, or slowly decline, in the catalyst layer,

Vessels have already been designed in which for the purpose above mentioned, .the-

chamber containing the catalyst is divided into separate parallel tubes, charged with the catalyst, the said tubes being secured in a tube plate at both ends and bathed by the entering cold fresh gas before the latter passes over In this arrangement, however, owing to the distance at which the tubes have to be spaced in order to bring the gas into contact with the whole surface f ofthe tubes, the entire vessel space is very yimperfectly utilized, and for lthe-,same reason the transmission of heat from Athe catalytic mass4 to the freshgasis very incomplete.

It has also been proposed to arrange the o catalytic mass around the tubes, in which case the latter'must be set still further apart. In

\this case, the fresh Jgas first passes through -the tubes, from below upwards, and then through the catalytic mass from above down-.

. wards. Inthiscasefalso, the exchan eof heat ispoor, owing to the'small super ciallarea i Lof themes.

I have now found that ood 4.15 regeneration and distribution of the eat,

coupled with a faorable utilizationv of space,

f and consequently aconsiderable improvement is attained by p the gas through tubes contanin the ctiilyst, which' tubes may be fastene at only one end, so desired, toa tube plate and which are so closely packed together in the 4form of a bundle. that the fresh gas led past the tubes, on the Outside of the same, travels at higher velocity than it does inthe tubes containing the catalyst. In this manner the fresh gas is first led through the spaces between the tubes, for the purpose of an exchange of heat with the catalyst, and then preferably in the reverse direction through the tubes containing the catalyst. It is advisable to taper down the tubes to a small diameter at the end at vwhich they are connected to the tube plate, the said tapering affording thepossibillty of distributing the entering fresh gas uniformly over the spaces between thetubes. Under certain circumstances the effect of the arrangement may be substantially increased by making` the tubes of polygonal shape invvcross-section such as square or hexagonal, instead of circular or oval, in order to utilize their superficial area more completely.

The warming up of the vessel to the reac tion temperature is preferably effected by means of electricheating devices.

" illustrated The invention will be furthe with yreference to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred construction of reaction vessel for carrying the invention into pactical effect is shown.y Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of such a reaction vessel. The cold fresh gas enters the vessel at the upper end thereof at A andflows in the first place along the inside of the shell. On reaching the end of the guide tube B, the fresh 'gas vfirst passes into the intermediate spaces between a-'sheaf of "tubes, ascending therethrough and passing, as required, over an `electric heating device C and thenenters the said tubes, that is, into thelayer cf the catalyst, at their upper end. -InY traversing this layer, the heat of the' V'reaction is transmitted to the fresh gas flowing in the opposite direction on the outside. The gaseous mixture iu from the furnace at the lower partD thereof. It is unnecessary l 'u to iill the tubes completely with the catalytic material; and they may for example be filled o with the said materialin their upper portion alone, according to what is necessary for the I reaction, the remaining portion of thel tubes serving merely as a heat regenerator.

The larger intermediate spaces between the tubes sometimes unavoidable (for example when round tubes are-used) and which are unfavorable to heat regeneration, may be charged with inert fillers, such as inserted iron rods, and thereby considerably reduced in dimensions. Large intermediate spaces may beavoided in a technically very simple manner, by making the individual catalyst tubes ofpolygonal shape in cross-section, for

example square or hexagonal, (see Fig. 2)v

so that the said tubes will lie still more closely together, the chamber containing the catalyst will be larger in proportion to the total space, and the gas to be `regenerated will How at increased velocity between the parallel surfaces in close juxtaposition, the most favorable conditions forheat transmission being thereby established. In the case of round tubes, for example, the space surrounding the tubes occupies`22 vpericent of theftotal space taken up by the sheaf of tubes whereas, in the case of hexagonal tubes, it occupies only 3 to 5 per cent. The sheaf 'of tubes may be arranged in thel form of a unit of any desired cross-sectional shape; and, in some cases, it is also advantageous to4 insert intermediate pieces between the parallel walls.

The tubes, especially those of regular hexagonal crosssection,may also be disposed with their longitudinal sides in contact so as to avoid interstices entirely, the whole then representing a'chamber subdivided into numerous compartments by separating walls. In-

this case some of the tubes are filled with the catalyst, Vthe remainder being left empty, or-

charged with fillers, these being hereinafter referred to `as regenerative spaces. In this arrangement it is advisable that thewalls of the regenerative spaces should be in common with those of the adjoining spaces containing the catalyst. 'Ihe other separating walls \i1'1 contact'with each other then act Asolely to conduct heat Ito the regenerative spaces in .which the heat is taken up by the fresh gas,

the gas being .preferably passed in an opposite direction to that in the said regenerative spaces.

In lthis type of arrangement a substantial improvement in the utilization of the lvessel The cold gas entering into the reaction vessel at a passes downwards between the hot bundles of tubes b which are filled with the catalyst and then passes upwards through Vthe central tube a, then enters into the catalyst between the two gases .is maximal at this point. For some reactions, it may be advantageous to heat up the fresh gas to a certain extent in order to avoid coolin the catalyst tubes too strongly. This pre eating may take place either outside or within the reaction vessel and may be carried out by any lsuitable heating device, or the heat contained in the gases issuing from the bundles of tubes may be wholly or in -part employed to supply heat to the fresh gas by `a heat exchanger operated on a counter current system, which heat exchanger may be of any known construction.

' What I-claim is l. Apparatus for carrying out exothermic catalytic gas reactions, comprising a reaction vessel in which tubes containin a catalyst are closely packed together in a undle.

2. Apparatus for'carrying out exothermic catalytic gas reactions, comprising a reaction vessel with tubes containing a catalyst, the said tubes being substantially parallel and theI walls of the said tubes being-in contact with each other. l

3. Apparatus'for carrying out exothermic catalytlc gas reactions, comprising a reaction vessel withl tubes containing a catalyst, said tubes being substantially parallel and in contact with each other by having part of their lwalls in conmon.

4. Apparatus for carrying out exothermic catalytic as reactions, comprising a reaction vessel, tu s therein, at least someof said tubes containing 4a catalyst, a passageway surrounding said catalyst-carrying tubes, the sectional area of said passageway being less than the combined sectional area of said catalyst-carrying tubes, and means for causing gas to pass rst throu h said passageway and then through said tu es.

5. Apparatus for carrying out exothermic catalytlc gas reactions, comprising a reaction vessel, a plate mounted-therein, tubes mounted in said vessel having tapered end portions inserted in said plate, at least some of said tubes containin a catalyst, a passageway surrounding sai catalyst-carrying tubes, the sectional area of said passageway bemg less than the combined sectlonal area of said catalyst-carrying tubes, and means for causing. gas to pass rst through said passageway and then through said tubes'.

6.` Apparatus for carrying out exothermic catal ic as reactions, comprising a reaction vesse tubes of polygonal cross-sections in said reaction vessel, at least some of said tubes carrying a catalyst, a passageway surrounding said catal st-carrying tubes, the sectional area of sai passageway bein less than the combined sectional area of sai catalyst-carrying tubes, and means for causing gas to ass first through said passageway an then rough said tubes.

7 Apparatus for carrying out exothermic catalytlc gas reactions, comprising a reaction vessel, tubes therein, atleast some of said 4 tubes containing a catalyst and being closely packed together ina bund1e,'a passageway surrounding said catalyst-carrying tubes, 1nert filling materials in said passageway, the' sectional area 'of said passageway being less than lthe .combined sectional area of said cat" alyst-carrying tubes, and means for causing saidpassagewa'y and` gasto pass rst through then through said tubes.

In testimony whereof Ivhave hereunto set my handl Y ALBERT BERENBRUCAH. 

